Spout for food stuff container

ABSTRACT

A spout  10  for application to a generally rectangular container  50  creating a means by which the contents of the container can be easily dispensed, as well as kept fresh and free from contamination via the spout&#39;s closing mechanism  40  by which an air-tight seal is achieved. The closing mechanism  40  of the spout is easily engaged by physically manipulating the spouting member  30  from the opened to closed position. The spout  10  can be applied to a container either by the consumer or by the container manufacturer.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 11/749,973, filed on17 May 2007, which is currently pending.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The embodiments disclosed herein relate to a device that provides moreconvenient and secure access to the contents of various types ofhousehold containers. More particularly, the device is a sealable spoutthat can be easily implanted into a container making removal of thecontainer's contents easy while ensuring the container's integrity isnot compromised.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

Anyone who starts their day with a bowl of cereal knows of the varietyof problems the disclosed invention is designed to address. Thecontainers, to which American consumers have become accustomed and oftenused to house cereal and similar food stuffs, leave much to be desired.In particular, there are the problems with opening the existing boxes,which includes fumbling with heavy cardboard, hoping that the sealingmechanism—a heavy cardboard tab that slides into a pre-cut narrow slitin a mating lid flap—does not rip off in the process, as well as tryingto avoid injury that sometimes occurs when the container has beenunevenly torn and a jagged edge is left eagerly awaiting theunsuspecting hand or digit. Additionally, one faces the problems of howto keep the contents of a container whose top has just been dismantled,fresh and free from contamination and how to pour the contents from thedisfigured container into a bowl or other container.

What is needed to breathe life back into common household containers isan easy to use device that can be used in conjunction with existingcontainers, as a means of eliminating the aforementioned problems. Theembodiments disclosed herein provide for a sealable spout that can beintegrated into common household containers either by the consumer ormanufacturer. The spout enables the easy opening, sealing, and pouringof compatible containers.

The existing art has attempted to address the prevalent problems ofcommon household containers, but has provided inadequate solutions.Large plastic containers intended to function as substitutes fordisposable containers proved to be awkward and difficult to clean.Plastic liners used within the containers as a way of maintaining thefreshness of the contents after the containers had been opened was anidea with much potential but has not implemented in a manner whichmaximizes its effectiveness. Additionally, the existing art provides fora variety of containers with spout-type openings but fails to providefor a spout that can be easily open and closed with a secure seal andthat can also be integrated into a container by either the consumer ormanufacturer.

SUMMARY

This and other unmet advantages of the prior art are provided by thepresent invention useful for sealing and dispensing the contents of acontainer. In brief, the disclosed embodiment comprises a spout forapplication to a generally rectangular container creating a means bywhich the contents of the container can be easily dispensed, as well askept fresh and free from contamination via the spout's closing mechanismby which an air-tight seal is achieved. The closing mechanism of thespout is easily engaged by physically manipulating the spouting memberfrom the opened to closed position. The spout can be applied to acontainer either by the consumer or by the container manufacturer.

The invention disclosed herein has wide application including, but notlimited to, creating a more efficient container for food stuffs byproviding a spout that is easily incorporated into a container thusallowing for easy dispensation and maintenance of the container'scontents.

Further features of the invention will be described or will becomeapparent in the course of the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Novel features and advantages of the present invention, in addition tothose mentioned above, will become apparent to those skilled in the artfrom a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings wherein identical characters refer toidentical parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is perspective view of the invention installed on a container;

FIG. 2 is a close-up perspective view of the invention showing the spoutin the closed configuration;

FIG. 3 is a close-up perspective view of the invention showing the spoutin the open configuration;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the invention showing the spout inthe closed position;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation detailed sectional view of the inventionshowing the spout in the closed position;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation detailed sectional view of the inventionshowing the spout in the open position;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the invention showing the spout in the openposition;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the invention showing the spout in the closedposition; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a spoutinstalled on a container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

One exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a spout forapplication to a generally rectangular container. Another exemplaryembodiment of the present invention is a method for incorporating aspout into a generally rectangular container. The generally rectangularcontainer may be a cardboard box that is manufactured for the purpose ofholding cereal or other foodstuffs or any other container that iscompatible with said spout.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3, the invention 10 is mainly comprised ofa mounting means 20, a spouting member 30, and a closing mechanism 40.In this device, the mounting means 20 is capable of being incorporatedinto a generally rectangular container 50. In some embodiments of thepresent invention the generally rectangular container 50 will have anopening in one of its sides for receiving the mounting means 20. Inother embodiments of the present invention where the generallyrectangular container 50 does not have an opening for the reception ofthe mounting means 20, the mounting means 20 may be capable of creatingan opening in the container that is the right size to enable theincorporation of the mounting means 20.

The mounting means 20 may be any device which is capable of connectingthe spouting member 30 to the generally rectangular container 50. Asshown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the mounting means 20 maybe generally rectangular in shape. In some embodiments the mountingmeans 20 will be generally circular in shape. In other embodiments ofthe present invention the mounting means 20 may be of any shape thatallows for its incorporation into the generally rectangular container 50while not inhibiting the functionality of the spouting member 30.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the mounting means 20 is connected to aspouting member 30. The spouting member 30 is connected to the mountingmeans 20 in such a manner that the spouting member 30 can be opened andclosed through the application of physical force. In some embodiments,the connection of the spouting member 30 and the mounting means 20 isaccomplished through a hinge 70 located at the terminal end of thespouting member 30. In other embodiments, the spouting member 30 issecured to the mounting means 20 in a manner which allows for thespouting member 30 to be opened and closed through rotation of thespouting member 30 in a circular direction. In another embodiment, thespouting member 30 is actually a limb of the mounting means 20 that iscapable of opening and closing. Exemplary embodiments of the spoutingmember 30 may include a tab 32 that is adapted to facilitate opening ofthe spouting member 30. In some embodiments, the tab 32 may included aknurled surface to further facilitate opening of the spouting member 30.The device includes a closing mechanism 40 shown in FIG. 3 that enablesthe spouting member 30 to stay in the closed position when the generallyrectangular container 50 is not in use. In some embodiments as isfurther illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the closing mechanism 40 embodiesa snap-fit type sealing interface between the mounting means 20 and thespouting member 30 when the spouting member 20 is in the closedposition. In other embodiments, the closing mechanism 40 is a latch orsimilar structure that can be positioned over the spouting member tokeep it closed. It should be noted that the invention 10 mayadvantageously be comprised of a material that lends itself to simpleand low-cost manufacture, such as an injection-moldable polymer.Furthermore, the mounting means 20 may be configured of a firm yetmalleable metal that can be manually adjusted to grasp the edges of anopening within the top, bottom, front, back, or one of said side wallsof the generally rectangular container 50 to form the tight fit betweensaid mounting means 20 and said generally rectangular container 50.

In a preferred embodiment, the device of the present invention isincorporated into a generally rectangular container 50 that has beenmanufactured to hold cereal or a similar foodstuff. The mounting means20 and the generally rectangular container 50 form a tight fit thatprevents the device from shifting within the generally rectangularcontainer 50 when the container is moved and similarly prevents thedevice from falling out of the generally rectangular container 50.Referring to FIGS. 4 through 6, the spouting member 30 is initially inthe closed position and has been configured so that when it is moved tobe in the open position it causes a plastic liner 60 within thegenerally rectangular container 50 to become unsealed. The plastic liner60 may be a plastic bag of the type currently sold within cereal boxesas a means of keeping the cereal fresh or may be any plastic linercapable of forming an air tight seal. The plastic liner 60 may becontained within the generally rectangular container 50 or it may beadhered to the inside of the generally rectangular container 50 suchthat the inner surface of the generally rectangular container 50 formsthe outer surface of the plastic liner 60 in its entirety.

In a preferred embodiment of the system of the present invention 10, andas shown by the arrow in FIG. 4, a force is applied to the surface ofthe invention 10 that causes the mounting means 20 to penetrate one ofthe sides of a generally rectangular container 50. Once the mountingmeans 20 has penetrated the generally rectangular container 50 a portionof the generally rectangular container 50 is removed creating an openingwithin the generally rectangular container 50 that is enclosed by themounting means 20. The portion of the mounting means 20 that penetratedthe generally rectangular container 50 is molded around the edges of thegenerally rectangular container 50 that are left exposed by the openingthat now exists therein.

In some embodiments the mounting means 20 may be only a fraction of thesize of the side of the generally rectangular container 50 in which itis incorporated while in other embodiments, as in FIG. 9, the mountingmeans 20 may form one of the sides of the generally rectangularcontainer 50 in its entirety. The size of the spouting member 30 willvary depending on the size of the generally rectangular container 50,the size of the mounting means 20, and the intended use of saidcontainer.

Any embodiment of the present invention may include any of the optionalor preferred features of the other embodiments of the present invention.The exemplary embodiments herein disclosed are not intended to beexhaustive or to unnecessarily limit the scope of the invention. Theexemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain theprinciples of the present invention so that others skilled in the artmay practice the invention. Having shown and described exemplaryembodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art willrealize that many variations and modifications may be made to affect thedescribed invention. Many of those variations and modifications willprovide the same result and fall within the spirit of the claimedinvention. It is the intention, therefore, to limit the invention onlyas indicated by the scope of the claims.

1. An improved spouted container for dispensing a substance, thecontainer comprising a generally hollow rectangular housing withopposing top and bottom faces that are connected to each other by fourrectangular side walls, a spout assembly mounted in one of the sidewalls in a manner providing a tight seal therewith, the spout assemblycomprising a mounting frame and a spout that is hingedly mounted, formovement between an closed and an open position, in the mounting frame,the improvement comprising: means for selectively maintaining the spoutin the closed position.
 2. The improved spouted container of claim 1,further comprising: a liner, disposed in the container in an initiallysealed condition, with a portion of the liner attached to the spoutassembly, such that the first movement of the spout, which is initiallyin the closed position, from the closed position to the open positionconverts the liner into an unsealed condition.
 3. The improved spoutedcontainer of claim 1, wherein: the spout assembly comprises a polymericmaterial.
 4. The improved spouted container of claim 1, wherein: in theclosed position, the spout seats in the mounting frame in an air-tightmanner.
 5. The improved spouted container of claim 2, wherein: in theclosed position, the spout seats in the mounting frame in an air-tightmanner.
 6. The improved spouted container of claim 5, wherein: the lineris attached to the spout assembly and a seal between the spout and themounting frame is broken in the initial movement of the spout from theclosed position to the open position to convert the liner from thesealed to the unsealed condition.
 7. The improved spouted container ofclaim 4, wherein: the liner is attached to the spout and the initialmovement of the spout from the closed position to the open positiontears an opening in the liner to convert the liner from the sealed tothe unsealed condition.
 8. The spout of claim 1, wherein: the means forselectively maintaining the spout in the closed position comprises asnap-fit sealing interface disposed respectively on the spout and themounting frame.
 9. The spout of claim 6, wherein: the means forselectively maintaining the spout in the closed position comprises asnap-fit sealing interface disposed respectively on the spout and themounting frame.
 10. The spout of claim 7, wherein: the means forselectively maintaining the spout in the closed position comprises asnap-fit sealing interface disposed respectively on the spout and themounting frame.